


Fireside Mistletoe

by twilightscribe



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Fluff, Complete, First Dates, M/M, Married Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-20
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 23:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3997195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilightscribe/pseuds/twilightscribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'll be home for Christmas...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fireside Mistletoe

Much to Peter's surprise, Caspian adjusted rather quickly to a world that was almost radically different from the one he came from. While he'd peppered Peter with questions about what things were and how they worked at first, he'd eventually just stopped asking – for the most part – and just went with the flow. Of course, that didn't mean that things worked in the reverse; the world didn't seem to stop being fascinated with Caspian.

He couldn't help but chuckle and smile a little as they left the small restaurant on the corner of the street; the hostess' eyes boring into their backs as they left.

“I don't understand,” Caspian frowned. “What have I done that's so amusing?”

Peter chuckled a little, “It's not you; that girl back there. She liked you.”

“Ah.” Caspian's gloved fingers brushed against the back of Peter's hand, a gesture that would look accidental to anyone watching but Peter knew it was his way of assuaging the blond's potential jealousy from rearing its ugly head.

That was something that never stopped intriguing Caspian; he never seemed to be able to understand why in Peter's world their relationship was, in all effects, illegal. That, he found, was the greatest difference between Narnia and this one and made his preference between them all the more obvious. The now king of Narnia, though, did respect Peter's wishes and the laws of his country and kept his usual public displays of affection to their private moments.

Brushing back his bangs, Caspian let out a heavy breath. He shoved his hands into his pockets as the two of them walked back towards the train station. Peter had wanted to show the Telmarine a few things in London and so the two of them had left the professor's countryside home for the city for the day.

“Peter.”

“Yeah?”

“What is this?” Caspian handed him what looked like a napkin with several numbers scrawled across it along with a name; Peter recognized what it was.

“It's a phone number,” Peter explained. “Where'd you get it?”

“The young lady who took our orders left it for me,” Caspian replied. “And what's a phone number? Is there some significance to this?”

“Ah, um, it means that she wants you to call her. It means she's interested in you.” Peter was getting used to the dark haired king receiving a lot of attention from the fairer gender. He was well aware that Caspian was handsome, and there was this rather exotic look to his features along with his accent; all because of his Telmarine heritage.

“Interested?” Caspian frowned, then it seemed to click. “Ah, you mean that she wants to pursue a relationship with me.”

“Yeah, that's basically what it means.” Peter stared at the napkin for a few seconds, before offering it back to Caspian. “Do you want this back or should I just toss it?”

Caspian's response was immediate and came with a little knowing smile, “Toss it. I'm perfectly content with what I have now.”

A quick look around showed that the street they were on was deserted aside from themselves, Peter quickly reached out and took Caspian's hand in his and gave it a quick squeeze before letting it go. He gave the dark-haired youth a brilliant smile.

“Thanks.” Peter balled the napkin up and chucked it into the nearest trash can. He glanced up and down the last intersection before the station and the two of them darted across the road.

“It's nothing,” Caspian replied as they entered the station. His dark eyes were warm and his smile was open, both of their cheeks were flushed from the cold but the rosy tint looked absolutely lovely on Caspian. “You know well where I stand about such affairs.”

Which, translated, meant: _I've told you before that I love you and I want no one else._

Their train wasn't for another fifteen minutes, so the two of them settled down on one of the benches in the station. Peter still felt that edge of paranoia that people looking at them would know that they were 'like that' and then the two of them would wind up in considerable trouble with the law. Although, he was sure that Caspian would somehow be able to charm his way out of it.

It wasn't important though. No one had noticed and they'd be back at the professor's soon enough where people didn't care about their orientation or relationship.

Well, there was Mrs. Macready, but either she was the blindest person in the world or she just didn't care enough to notice. It was one of the two.

“You seem distant,” Caspian's voice broke through his thoughts. “Have I upset you?”

“What? _No_. I was just thinking.”

The twitch of Caspian's hands didn't escape Peter's notice; he knew how much the other male wanted to reach over and pull him into his arms. It made him shiver in anticipation because he knew that Caspian would do that and much more once they were alone and in privacy again.

“About what?” Caspian edged closer, pressing their thighs together and letting his fingers brush along the back of his hand.

“Us being here. It's just sort of weird being back here when it isn't my home.”

Caspian smiled warmly at him, “You were born here, but this place doesn't suit you.”

There was nothing that Peter could think of to say to that, so he stayed quiet. It had been a long day and he was a little tired; he'd let himself sleep on the train. Caspian's shoulder looked awfully tempting though...

Just as he was starting to drift off, Caspian's voice warm and fluid in his ears, the dark-haired male stood up suddenly. Peter nearly fell over at that; he hadn't realized just how much he'd been relying on the other for support.

“Huh?”

“My apologies,” Caspian murmured, he indicated the train that had just pulled into the station. “But I believe this is ours.”

A quick glance at the clock and Peter hopped to his feet, “Yeah, let's go.”

The conductor checked their tickets before letting them onto the train; he gave the two of them barely one glance before turning away. There were a few others getting onto the train, but it was rather empty; it didn't take too much effort for Peter to find an empty compartment in a rather empty car. The shades were already drawn, giving the two of them a modicum of privacy.

Once they were alone, it wasn't too much of a surprise when Peter felt warm hands on his hips pulling him closer which were followed quickly by warm lips on his own. Caspian's lips were a little chapped from the cold, but they were familiar against his, the other's teeth catching his lip with a gentle nip.

The kiss was short, but both of them pulled back a little more breathless than before.

After they'd settled down on the seats, Caspian gave him a small smile, “I have wanted to do that all day.”

Their fingers were intertwined and resting lightly on Peter's thigh; the blond gave him a small smile, “Funny, I was expecting something a little more...”

“I'm not so sure that you would appreciate that in such a public place,” Caspian replied, his voice dropping and his accent becoming more pronounced. “And I think that a bed would be a more comfortable place for such activities.”

“With my siblings right down the hall? That hardly screams romantic.”

Caspian shot one quick glance at the compartment door before turning his attention to Peter, leaning in close enough so that their breath mingled. “Well then, you will just have to make sure they don't hear, will you not?”

“You're incorrigible.”

“As are you.” Caspian pressed a chaste but lingering kiss to Peter's lips, smirking just a little as he pulled away, “You are always tempting me.”

“I thought that was my job as your consort.”

With a soft chuckle, Caspian mumbled something softly in Spanish; his lips brushed against Peter's again. His kisses were gentle despite his earlier promises.

“Maybe while we're here you'll teach me a little of your language,” Peter replied. “I kind of want to know what you're saying.”

“Perhaps you do...” Caspian's lips drifted along his jaw, breath hot and making Peter's heart pound in his chest as desire quickly pulsed through him. “Then again, perhaps you don't; I do like keeping a few secrets from you.”

“Are you saying bad things about me behind my back?”

“Only when you do something stupid,” was Caspian's amused reply. “And that happens surprisingly often.”

“That's because you tend to get into dangerous scenarios with an alarming frequency,” Peter pulled back, trying his hardest to keep his arousal in check. Getting it on in a railway car wasn't his idea of romantic... as much as the idea of it was thrilling, he didn't relish getting _**caught**_. “You attract danger the same way you attract women.”

Caspian quirked an eyebrow at him, “You–”

“How about we not talk that?” Peter groaned. “Just drop the subject, alright?”

The dark haired man just chuckled, but he nonetheless said nothing more about it. Instead, he settled himself against the seat and watched as they pulled away from the station.

Even though he was dressed in casual clothes and not his usual Narnian garb, there was something otherworldly about Caspian. Peter had noticed it earlier, but it just got more apparent as the day went on. It shone through in the way that he carried himself – not like a young who looked as though he had just started university or might be just about to join the war effort.

Caspian carried himself with a sort of regal dignity; it was intimidating but approachable at the same time. And there were times where the horrors and stresses that he'd seen would show in his eyes – although Peter had seen less of that recently – giving him an aged look. But his dark beauty remained untarnished.

The sound of the train eventually lulled Peter to sleep; his head dropped to Caspian's shoulder and he curled up a little closer to the other man before he did drift off.

**.:-o-:. .:-o-:. .:-o-:.**

Caspian gently shook him awake with a soft, “Peter you need to wake up; we're here.”

Blinking blearily, Peter yawned and wiped away the reminder of sleep at the corners of his eyes. A quick glance out the window told him that Caspian was right; this was their station. He let the older man pull him to his feet before they dropped their intertwined hands. Caspian followed Peter out of the compartment and off the train.

No one was waiting for them at the station to pick them up, so the two of them started on the short walk back to the professor's house. Luckily, there wasn't a large amount of snow on the ground so they weren't trudging through it, and it wasn't bitterly cold out either.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Peter asked; the curiosity was burning at his tongue a little too much.

“It was very informative,” Caspian replied, then chuckled when he saw the frown on Peter's face. “Yes, I did. Thank you.”

Caspian's hand brushed against the back of Peter's. The dark-haired man then surprised Peter by taking his hand in his.

“Although, I will admit that having to be so subtle about our relationship is tiresome,” Caspian added. “That is what I miss most about Narnia; being able to be with you openly.”

“We'll be back there soon.” Peter laughed at the slight pout that Caspian gave him, “It could be worse; we could have been separated.”

And maybe he shouldn't have said that.

Caspian froze, his hand tightening its grip almost painfully around Peter's. The blond didn't wince, but he was roughly jerked to a stop by the sudden action – or lack thereof – of the dark-haired man.

“Caspian, I–”

His apology died in his throat as Caspian crashed his lips down on Peter's as he pulled him sharply to him. Caspian's arms were like iron bands around him as they held him tightly – it felt like he was being crushed to him. This wasn't exactly what he'd expected, but then again... he should've known that Caspian would react like this, even if he hadn't been serious.

With a tongue insistently demanding entrance to his mouth, Peter's thoughts took a back seat. His slid his arms around Caspian's neck, pulling him closer as he parted his lips.

Almost immediately, Caspian dominated the kiss and his arms tightened just a fraction more around the blond.

The kiss tasted of desperation and love and ended far too soon in Peter's opinion.

“I shouldn't have said that,” Peter managed. Both of them were breathing heavily as their foreheads were resting against each other's. “I wasn't being serious about it.”

Caspian sighed, “I'm sorry. It's just...”

Shaking his head, Peter gently placed his fingers on Caspian's lips – giving him a reassuring smile when he saw him frown – interrupting him. “It's fine. Really. I wouldn't go anywhere without you.”

“I would not either.” Caspian's voice was soft, and after a few seconds he managed to respond to Peter's smile with one of his own.

It made a warm feeling settle in Peter's chest and spread throughout the rest of him. _God, Caspian was beautiful..._

The two of them stayed like that for a few more moments, basking in the other's presence and arms until the cold started to sink in. With one more quick, chaste kiss the two of them pulled away from the embrace, but left their hands entwined together as they continued down the road. Caspian seemed to have settled back into his cheerful mood of earlier, and Peter was just content that they were together.

The rest of the walk back to the professor's home was spent in comfortable silence.

**.:-o-:. .:-o-:. .:-o-:.**

Surprisingly, it was Lucy who opened the door for them and greeted them when they returned. She was smiling brightly at them, just as she'd done since they'd turned up, and there was a little knowing gleam in her eyes.

“So, how was your date?” Lucy grinned as they pulled off their outwear and stowed it in the closet.

Peter flushed, “It wasn't a date!”

And of course Caspian had to jump in right then, “Date? What's a date?”

Right then Peter truly wished that the floor would just open up and swallow him. He couldn't deal with the embarrassment. And of course, Lucy had to make it worse.

“Oh I forgot that you wouldn't know what that means,” she said innocently – too much so if one asked Peter. “A date is when you go out and do things with someone who you like, in a romantic sense. It's sort of like courting but a lot less formal.”

Caspian frowned thoughtfully; clearly mulling over the new information, “Then why not call it such?”

“It sounds too formal; most people don't call it that anymore and dating is a lot more casual,” Lucy replied. “And besides, it's not something that you need to worry about. I was just teasing Peter.”

“Stop it,” Peter grumbled. His cheeks were still bright red and he was sure that they'd be permanently stained that color if his sister didn't stop embarrassing him. “It wasn't funny.”

Lucy waved her hand around in a dismissive gesture, “Oh come on Peter; you knew that I was just joking. You couldn't make it more obvious that you and Caspian are a sure thing.”

“I'd hope we're not that obvious,” Peter mumbled, a sudden feeling of mortification shooting through him. “Or else you'd be bailing us out of jail.”

She gave them one more knowing smile before turning away, a skip in her step, she paused before she disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, “Mrs. Macready went out to run some errands; she shouldn't be back until tomorrow morning. Enjoy your privacy!”

Caspian seemed a little confused by that, but Peter just turned a very bright shade of red. It was one thing to know that his sister knew about him being in love with another man, but it was a completely different thing to know that she was _**encouraging**_ the intimate aspects of it. He'd always thought that Lucy was more innocent than that.

“Peter are you alright? You're blushing.”

Caspian's hand on his cheek broke him out of his embarrassed thoughts. He turned to the other man, who had a concerned look on his face.

“Are you running a fever?” He pressed a hand to Peter's forehead, placing his other hand on his own to check Peter's temperature.

“No, I'm fine.” He swatted Caspian's hands away, “Just embarrassed.”

“Why?”

“Lu. I don't think I like just how much she knows about us.”

Despite his minor discomfort at his sister's knowing looks, Peter took Caspian's hand and pulled him into the sitting room near the front of the house. There was a fire burning in the fireplace already, and it looked as though Lucy had been in there waiting for them to get back. An empty glass of milk stood on the small table that had been pulled next to the window seat. There was a book of what looked to be fairy tales sitting on the seat as well.

Caspian frowned, “She is your sister. I thought it was her right to know that you're involved with someone.”

“Well, yeah. But I mean that I don't think I like that she knows so much about our relationship itself. Especially when she, well...” He flushed again. “Ugh, I really don't want to think about what she does know.”

“I'm sure that Lucy would never betray your trust in her Peter,” Caspian soothed as the two of them settled down on the couch together. “She only wants you to be happy.”

“Yeah, I know.” Peter let out a heavy sigh, “It's still really uncomfortable though. I don't even want to think about what Ed knows.”

Caspian threaded his fingers through Peter's hair, cupping one side of his face in his hand, “I'm sure that they would be discreet with what they know. You don't need to be afraid or embarrassed that they know.”

“This coming from the guy with no siblings.” Peter sighed and leaned into the touch, “Sorry, you're right. I shouldn't bring that up.”

Caspian shrugged and smiled, “I am well aware of the dysfunctional nature of my family. But you're right, perhaps this isn't the best time to be having this kind of discussion.”

“Nope.” He leaned his head against Caspian's shoulder and snuggled up alongside the other; Caspian's arm around his shoulders. Snuggling on the couch wasn't something that Peter had ever expected to do in his life, but he liked it. Well, so long as it was Caspian.

Speaking of Caspian, there was a small, thoughtful frown on his face as he watched the flames flicker in the fireplace. The dark-haired man's fingers were stroking his arm and the firelight made his features look more exotic than earlier. Caspian didn't belong in this world, that much was obvious; no matter how much effort he put into blending in, there was just something about him that shone through.

And Peter loved that about him.

“You seem thoughtful tonight,” Peter remarked. “Something on your mind?”

Caspian sighed, “Not particularly.”

“Bullshit,” Peter replied, softly as he rolled his eyes. “Are you worried about something? Did something–”

“Perhaps...” Caspian gave a small smile, dropping a quick kiss to the top of Peter's head before he responded, “You said once that time flows differently between this world and ours. Do you...?”

“It does, but I wouldn't worry about it. The first two times that Lucy went through, only a day or two had passed in Narnia. I can't say how it'll work for us, but I doubt that a lot of time would've passed when we finally go back.” Peter shrugged, “I get the feeling that the flow of time changes.”

“So I see.”

“You–”

“Merry Christmas!” Lucy exploded into the room. She threw her arms around their necks and Peter noticed that she had something in one of her hands.

“Lu, what have you got–”

She grinned as she straightened up, dangling the little plant above their heads, “It's mistletoe; you know what that means.”

“No.” Peter wasn't sure if he should be horrified or something else, “I'm not–”

“It's mistletoe,” Lucy explained, her grin softening into a smile as she continued to dangle the small sprig of the plant above their heads. “If you're caught under it with someone than you have to kiss them – you know how it works Peter.”

Peter's cheeks were a light shade of pink, “I am not – what are you doing Caspian?”

“I think that would be obvious,” Caspian replied, fingers tangling in the hair at the back of Peter's head and pulling him forward. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Peter's in a soft and chaste kiss, his other hand came up and gently stroked the blond's cheek. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Caspian was pulling away, smiling.

“That–” Peter blushed, hearing his sister giggle. She'd dropped the mistletoe on his head and had clapped both of her hands over her mouth to try and muffle the sound. He glared at her and she just smiled.

“Oh come on Peter! You've never had a problem with kissing Caspian before! What makes this so different?” She grinned, “Has married life turned you into a prude?”

“No,” Peter replied. “I don't like being _**forced**_ into doing something.”

Lucy pouted, “Whatever you say Peter. I don't hear Caspian complaining.”

“I think that Peter is just having some trouble with adjusting back to this world,” Caspian added. “As I understand it, this world views a relationship such as ours quite differently.”

“Oh. Yeah. That...” Lucy frowned and then glared at Peter when it hit her. “You know that just because we're not in Narnia anymore doesn't mean that we'll view you any differently than before. Edmund and I don't care that you're in love with Caspian or that you're married to him. What matters to us is that you're happy.”

Caspian took Peter's hand in his and gave a squeeze; the look in his eyes clearly said, 'I told you so.'

“If you and Caspian want the evening to yourselves, then Edmund and I can distract the professor with some cookies and stories,” Lucy continued. “Tomorrow's Christmas Eve; I doubt that you'll get another chance until you're back in Narnia again.”

All Peter could do was nod numbly; he knew that he was blushing since his sister had basically just _**given**_ them permission and the go ahead to do whatever they wanted. Well, so long as they were quiet.

It was going to be a long night.

**FIN.**

**Author's Note:**

>  **Words:** 4002 words
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ way back in the day, reposting it now. Feedback is appreciated, as this was my first time writing for this fandom. I have a much longer WIP for this fandom that I'm currently revisiting and that this fic (and its tie-in/sequel/outtake) take place in the continuity of that fic.


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